12 Marks of a Transformed Life

Be Transformed by God’s Spirit in 2012

The Twelve Marks project equips believers like you to display the ‘new covenant’ kind of life. The twelve commands explored here, all from Hebrews, are values that the Holy Spirit uses to display Jesus’ power at work in His people.
 

This isn’t a project to simply make you a better person. This is a church-wide endeavor to please God by our faith and our  determination to carry out his will. 

The New Testament letter to the Hebrews is filled with two kinds of statements:
 

∙ God’s truth claims.

These truths include the identity of Jesus, the nature of the new covenant, and God’s promises to those who believe. Chapters 1-10 are primarily truth claims, contrasting Jesus and the new covenant with the old covenant under Moses.
 

∙ God’s commands.

This letter exhorts believers to hold on to Jesus and to avoid turning back to the old covenant. Chapters 11-13 then calls Christians to display the kind of new heart and lifestyle that only the new covenant can give.
 

People who trust God’s truth claims and who seek the Son will be personally transformed by an encounter with the Savior.
 

In other words, since I am a new covenant follower of Jesus, my relationships are different, my moral behavior will change, my worship is transformed, and my life will please God.Hebrews teaches the amazing truth that God experiences pleasure when a believer’s life changes in a way that brings him glory.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that      which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20–21

In these verses, which is the letter’s closing prayer, the author asks God to equip Jesus’ followers with all the tools they need to do God’s will and please the Lord.

On what basis can I be changed? 
God raised Jesus from the dead.
God made Jesus our perfect Shepherd.
God made with us an eternal ‘New Covenant’.

What’s the result of the new covenant?
God equips us with everything good to do his will.
God works in us in a God-pleasing way.
God accomplishes this through Jesus.
God receives the glory forever and ever.
 

Simply put, I declare the glory of Jesus as my heart attitude and behavior changes to new covenant values.
 

This is precisely what the prophet Ezekiel predicted.

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." Ezekiel 36:26–27

How were these twelve marks chosen?

The twelve marks of a transforming life are all imperatives, or commands, found in the closing chapters of Hebrews. Each result from God’s truth claims given in the first ten chapters. Every one of these actions give evidence of a new heart, which comes out of a new covenant relationship with Jesus.

My new heart changes my relationships with other Christians: encourage, work at peace. 

My new heart transforms my relationship with God: believe, grow holy, worship, praise, obey, pray.

My new heart alters my relationship with this world: be satisfied, share your home, share your stuff.

And my new heart changes the way I see difficulty: endure, be satisfied, pray.

What should I do?

∙ Work at the monthly command every day of the month.
∙ Commit the ‘power verse’ to memory and meditate on it.
∙ Pray actively about applying the command to your life.
∙ Talk with others about your successes and struggles.

Students of human behavior tell us that new habits form after thirty days of repetition. If you will strive to fulfill each command for one month, not only will you personally be more holy, joyful, peaceful, and satisfied, you’ll also live a life that “is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever” (13:21).

January -- Encourage

Febuary -- Endure

March -- Believe

April -- Work at Peace

May -- Grow Holy

June -- Worship

July -- Share Your Home

August -- Be Satisfied

September -- Praise

October -- Share your Stuff

November -- Obey

December -- Pray